Bridge.



. J. B. STRAUSS.

BRIDGE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 8, I908.

1,157349. Patented Oct. 19, 1915.

Mia/gym I JOSEPH-B. STRAUSS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BRIDGE.

Application filed July a, 1908.

Qhicagoyin the county of Cook and State of Illinois,

have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Bridges, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to bridges, and has for its object to provideanew and improved bridge of which the following is a description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein,

igure 1 is a side elevation of a bridge embodying the invention; Fig. 2is an enlarged view of a portion of the bridge support; Fig. 3 is anenlarged side elevation showing the upper connection of the sections ofthe bridge; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the connection shown in Fig. 3;Fig. 5 is an enlarged side elevation showing the lower connection of thesections of the bridge; Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 ofFig. 5; Fig. 7 is a view showing a modified construction of the bottomconnection of the bridge sections.

Like figures refer to like parts out the several figures.'-

Referring now to Fig. 1, I have shown two sections 1 and 2 which arepivoted at 3 throughat their ends or heels to a suitable support. Thesesections are connected together so as to form a simple span when intheir lowered or operative posltion. The sections are ar- -ranged sothat they may be opened by moving them about their pivotal connections,but when. lowered the ends are connected together by a suitableconnection which takes compression, shear and tension, thus formin asimple span.

s illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4c, the top chord 4 of section 1 isprovided with a projection 5 which fits into a receiving space 6associated with the top chord 7 ofsection 2, the arrangement being suchthat the proj ection becomes freely disengaged as the sections arelifted. This connection takes up compression. I

Some means is provided at the bottom of sections 1 and 2 to resisttension. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6 a longitudinally disposedinterlocking connecting device consisting of an engagin part 8connected. with one section of the lo thereof with an enlarged end orhead 9 which fits into a receiving part 10 on the other section of thebridge as the sections are Specification of Letters Patent.

ridge in the tension .chord Patented Oct. 19, 1915. Serial No. 442,516.

lowered to their closed position. The receiv ing part is provided withan enlarged receiving space 11 in which the enlarged end 9 is received,there being a smaller receiving space 12 which receives the reducedportion 13 of the engaging part 8, the arrangement being such that whenthe parts'are engaged they cannot be pulled apart longitudinally,

or, in other words, the engagement is such as to resist tension in themembers. The parts 8 and 10 may be pivoted to the sections 1 and 2 oraffixed thereto in any other desired manner.

It will be seen that this construction permits the automatic engagementand disengagement of these parts when the sections are moved about theirpivots 3. A suitable device is preferably provided to prevent themovement of the parts 8 and 10 when in their engaging position. Anysuitable. arrangement for this purpose may be provided. As herein shownthere are connected with the members 1 and 2 the links 14: and 15. Theselinks are pivoted to a controlling part 16 by means of which pressurecan be applied to them to tend to move them into alinement. One part ispivoted to the member 1, for example, and the other part is providedwith a fork which engages a pin or projection 17 On the other part. Thisarrangement permits the disengagement of the parts when the sections arelifted. The part 16 may be operated in any desired manner,

in Fig. 5 and the controlling part forced downward, the lower ends ofthe sections are forced away from the other so as to cause the parts 8and 10- to clamp each other. This prevents relative movement of suchparts. The separation at the bottom ot the sections 1 and 2 tends tobring said sections closer together at'the top. It will thus. be seenthat the ends of the sections 1 and 2 abut, and that the engaging partsform a connection between them which takes up compression, shear'andtension, and thus a simple bridge span is formed when the twosectionsare closed.

In Fig. -7 a modified form of the bottom connection is-shown. In thisconstruction changes in temperature.

one of the sections is provided with one or more screws 19 which work inthreaded portions 20 in one section, and threaded portions 21 in theother section. When the sections are closed these screws are moved intothe position shown in Fig. 7. When it is desired to open the sectionsthe screws are turned so'as to disconnect. them from the threadedportions 21. Any suitable means for operating the screws may be used,as, for example, the electric motor 22. The sections 1 and 2 may beplaced in position and used as an ordinary fixed span, and may then beconverted into a bascule bridge at any later period by simply addingmechanism for lifting one or more of the sections, and addingcounterweight thereto. This mechanism may be of any desiredconstruction. As herein shown a support or tower 23 may be provided atone or both ends and mounted upon suitable piers 24. Pivotally connectedto these supports or towers are the counterweight frames 25 providedwith the counterweight 26 and connected tothe sections 1 and 2 by thepivoted connecting struts 27. Operating struts 28 are pivotallyconnected to the towers 23 and engage pinions 29 on the bridge sections,said struts having teeth as shown'to engage such pinion. A motor orother suitable operating mechanism for each pinion is placed upon thesections 1 and 2, the arrangement being such that when the operatingmechanism is set in motion the sections of the bridge are lifted so asto open the channel. In view of the fact that the two sections form asimple span when closed, some suitable means should be provided forpermitting expansion due to As herein shown, one of the supports ortowers 23 is movably mounted so that it may move to permit thisexpansion when it occurs in either or both sections. Some suitable meansis preferably provided to fix the tower or support when it is desired tolift the section of the bridge pivoted thereto.

As herein shown the support or tower 23 is loosely mounted upon thepiers 24 in any desired manner, as, for example, by being mounted uponthe rollers or balls 30. The

support or tower 23 is provided with a locking part 31 which projectsbetween the fixed parts 32 associated with the fixed member 33. Movablewedges 34 are provided which engage the fixed parts 32, the arrangementbein such that .when the movable wedges are owered the tower is free tomove back and forth in response to the expansion of the material in' thesections of the bridge. hen it is desired to lift the sections of thebridge these wedges are moved to their looking position as shown in Fig.2, thus fixing the support or tower in position. The bridge can then beeasily lifted. Before moving the wedges to their locking position,

the section 1 may be moved toward the sec- "such that when saidoperating strut is moved they will be moved to their locking position.As herein shown said wedges are connected to an equalizing bar 35 whichin turn is connected to a pivoted lever 36, said lever being connectedby a link 37 with the projecting end of the operating strut 29.

When the section 1 is lifted the wedges are pulled to their lockingposition and the towers fixed in position. By means of this constructiona double span bascule bridge is provided which does away with the upliftupon the foundations present in the ordinary double span bascule bridge.The expansion due to variations in temperature of one member istransferred to the other member and taken up at a distance from theconnection between the abutting ends of the sections.

.The interlocking device or parts, which separably connect the abuttingends of the sections, that is, the parts 8 and 10, are parallel to theaxis of the bridge, that is, the longitudinal line running through thecenter thereof.

I claim:

1. A bridge comprising two vertically rotatable sections having freeends which abut when the bridge is closed, a longitudinally disposedinterlocking connecting device for said sections, comprising a part inthe tension chord of one section and a second part in the tension chordof the other section, the two parts being in longitudinal alinement witheach other when the bridge is closed, said two parts automaticallyengaging when the sections are closed, and resisting parts connectedwith said two parts for resisting longitudinal separation thereof undertension.

2. A bridge comprising two separable vertically rotatable sectionshaving free ends which abut when the bridge is closed, the

other ends of said sections mounted upon parts of said interlockingconnections di-.

rectlyengaging with each other when the said sections are closed. n 3. Abascule bridge comprising two pivoted sections, and automaticinterlocking devices at theabutting ends of said sections whichautomatically interlock when the two ing device .on the other sectionadapted to receive said enlarged end, said projecting part andreceiving-device pin-connected to the sections, said enlarged end movedinto the receiving device by the relative movement of said sections.

5. A bridge comprising two sections, a connecting device for connectingthe adjacent ends of said sections together comprising an interlockingtension connection in the tension chord of the sections, automaticallyconnected and disconnected by the relative movement ofthe sections.

6. A bridge comprising two sections having their adjacent ends abuttingwhen the bridge is closed, a compression connection in the compressionchord of said sections, a tension connection in the tension chord ofsaid sections, a movable support on which one section is mounted, andmechanism for relatively moving the sections toward and from each otherwhile the sections are closed.

tension connection in to vary the pressure on the tension connection.

7 A bridge comprising two sections having their adjacent ends abuttingwhen the bridge is closed, a compression connection in the compressionchord of said sections, a the tension chord of said sections, a movablesupport on which one section is mounted, mechanism for relatively movingthe sections toward and from each other While the sections are closed,to vary the pressure on the tension connection, a lock device operatingmechanism for said sections, and an automatic controlling device forsaid lock device.

8. A bridge comprising two vertically movable sections, one end ofeachsection mounted upon a support, the other ends of said sectionsabutting, two detachable connections between said sections, one acompression and shear interlocking connection at'the top chord and theother a tension interlocking connection at the bottom chord, saidtension locking connection having interlocking parts which automaticallyinterlock when the sections are moved to their closed positions.

JOSEPH B. STRAUSS.

lVitnesses EnNA K. REYNOLDS, SOPHIE B. WERNER.

for holding said movable support in a fixed position,

